A Simple Salad and Simple Salad Dressing

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A simple salad and simple salad dressing, when done well it is an excellent addition to a meal! 

Opening a bag of mixed leaves is probably the easiest and quickest side dish! But what turns mixed leaves into a great salad is a great dressing. Instead of reaching for a store-bought bottle, make a speedy dressing that tastes amazing and keeps for weeks!

A great salad dressing is the basis of so many great salads. And with so many variations and ways to make it your own, this simple salad and dressing is the little black dress of salad dressings!

A simple salad

This is as simple as it gets, just mixed leaves! Bright and colorful, they add a great crunch and freshness to a meal. We especially like to add a side salad to our pasta dinners! 

I share a pasta recipe every Friday, and every week a side salad is one of my suggested sides! So I thought it was time to share my basic salad and dressing with you! 

Additions/Variations to the simple salad

You can add any extras you love to this salad, but our most common ones are:

• Chopped cucumber
• Diced Bell peppers
• Diced Red onion
• Roasted pumpkin/sweet potato
• Grated carrot
• Chopped pear/apple

(I never add tomatoes to my simple salad, I prefer tomatoes served like this Brazilian tomato salad)

A simple salad dressing

This dressing will keep for weeks in the pantry/cupboard. There's no need even to pop it in the refrigerator! And it uses just a few basic ingredients! (see the actual recipe for quantities)

• White wine vinegar 
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Mustard
• Honey
• Salt & Pepper

These all get mixed together in a measuring cup or small jar, and the dressing is done! How easy is that?!!!

Additions/Variations to the simple dressing

Make this dressing your own with one of these twists:

• Use apple cider vinegar
• Use red wine vinegar
• Use balsamic vinegar
• Use maple syrup
• Use a nutty oil (walnut is a fav!)
• Add some dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, dill)
• Use a grainy mustard

Fresh additions (these will limit the time you can keep the dressing)

• Minced onion
• Minced garlic
• Minced ginger
• Grated parmesan
• Lemon zest

How long can you keep homemade salad dressing? 

Making homemade salad dressing is fantastic, especially when you can make a bigger batch and save some for another day! 

The beauty of this simple dressing is that everything is from the store cupboard, so you can easily make this dressing up whenever you are running low.

The basic dressing will keep for 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. After this, the flavor of the dressing will degrade as the oil will start to lose its flavor.

You'll find that keeping the dressing in the refrigertaor; the oil will solidify slightly. This is perfectly normal. Just remove the dressing and place it on the counter, as it comes to room temperature, the dressing will become pourable again. Then just give it a good shake/stir before use.

If you add any of the fresh ingredients listed above, then the dressing shouldn't be kept for more than three days in the fridge.

Enjoy x

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Simple Salad and Simple Salad Dressing Recipe

A simple salad and simple salad dressing, when done well it is an excellent addition to a meal! Opening a bag of mixed leaves is probably the easiest and quickest side dish! But what turns mixed leaves into a great salad is a great dressing. This simple salad dressing is the basis of so many great salads. With so many variations and ways to make it your own, this simple salad and dressing is the little black dress of salads!

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Side

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Servings: 4

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout

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Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

Small batch (4 servings)

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper

Big batch (~2 ¼ Cup)

• 1 ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Measure the ingredients into a jar or large measuring cup. (A jar is much easier)
• Shake or stir until the ingredients are well combined.
• The dressing will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks.

Notes

Make this dressing your own with one of these twists (these won't change the length of time you can keep the dressing for):

• Use apple cider vinegar
• Use red wine vinegar
• Use balsamic vinegar
• Use maple syrup
• Use a nutty oil (walnut is a fav!)
• Add some dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, dill)
• Use a grainy mustard

Fresh additions (if using these the dressing must be used within 3 days)
Pour a small amount of your dressing into a measuring cup and then add the fresh ingredients. That way, your big batch can remain in the refrigerator.

• Minced onion
• Minced garlic
• Minced ginger
• Grated parmesan
• Lemon zest

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 15mg | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg

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